Boltless rail-splice.



'No. 818,311. a I PATENTEDAPR. 17, 1906.

0. L. SULLIVAN &*W. J. DICKINSON.

BOLTLESS 11,111. SPLICE.

AEPLIOATION FILED iIAN127, 1906.

3' SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' WITNESSES mvanoms" I insured and unmterruptedly UNITED STATES PATENTonFICn.

CHARLES L; SULLIVAN AND wILLnrr J. DIGKINSON,

ILLINOIS; SAID DICKINSO ASSIGNOR TO MENT COMPANY, or CHICAGO,ILLINoIs-,.

ILLINOIS.

014 CHICAGO, HANDY CAR EQUIP- A CORPORATION F BOLTLE'SS' RAIL-SPLICE.

Patented April 17, 19oe.

Application filed January 27, I906- Serial No. 298,162

1'0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, OnAnLns L. SULLI- VAN and WILLETT J. DICKINSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Boltless Rail-splices, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to rail splices or joints used for connecting andholding-in alinement ends of contiguous railway rails, and has for itsobjects; to provide a rail splice fastening in which greater security isprovided in that a maximum intimacy of contact between the splices andtherails .is

maintained; to provide a rail splicefastenin in which a secure holdingis attained without the necessityof attention or manipulation beingapplied thereto, whereby a material reduction In what is known asmaintenance charges is secured, and the liab'lity of accident isreduced;.to provide a rail joint splice which constitutes a erfect bondbetween the rails and makes t e use of the present copper bondsunnecessary in electric railway service or where the rails are re uiredto carry a current of electricity bloc signal installation; to rovide apositive means whereby the position of the s lice bars relative to theends of the rails Will be maintained against the movements due tocontraction and expansion; to provide means whereby the looseness in theparts of the splice bars and rails due to wear 1s auto matically takenup and the required tightness maintained; to rovide a rail splicefastencr. that is adapted to engage the ties and act as ananti-creeper,and finally to provide a cheap rail s tached. to rai s withthe tools'usually used by trackmenand that can be substituted 'quickly'and cheaply forthe bolts now universally used with splice bars. Thepreferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section through the railand splice .bars, showing the securing means therefor; C

Figure), is a similar section showing a modified form of spring;

Figure 3 is a similar section of another tendency of creeping or of licefastener adapted-to be at-.

in place of the ordinary one is s modification in which means areprovided for regulatingthe tension of the sprln Figure 4 is ailon theline (4) (4) ofF1gure 3;

Figure 5 is aside view showing the fasten ersdin position to act asanti-creeper devices, an I v Figure 6 is a similar view of a modifiedarrangement.

As shown in Fi re 1, 5 is'the rail, and 6 are similar splicefirs fittingagainst the inclined head and flange of the rail and spaced out from theweb thereof so that when the contacting surface is worn and the splicebars moveinward, a secure engagement of- 'isplice bar and rail is stillprovided. 7 is the holding spring upcurved at its central 'portion 8 toContact with the bottom of the rail and provided at its ends withportions 9' adapted to fit in the perforations in the s lice bars andwith collars 10 adapted to ear against the face of the splice bars andpress the bars tightly against the rail. In order to prevent the reative lon 'tudinal movement of spllice bars and rai the plug 11 is used,whic pluglengages each s lice bar and also the web of t e rail and ,ished in position by the parts '9 on the springs. It will be used on thesplice bars as is found necessary toholel the ends of the rails inPIQPQI-PQSP- tion. These springs are necessarily constructed of verystrong spring m aterial, an are sprung into positlon by means of theordinary tools used by trac men. The engagement of the parts 9 with theperforations in the splige bars secures the springs against lateralmovement. It will be vnoted that the springs provide an automatic meansfor taking up the looseness occasioned by wear caused by the rubbingofthe faces of the splice bars and the rail together, and that after thespring is once in position the device will re uire'no further attentionduring the life of the rail. It will also be notedthat the s lice bars 6are of ordinary construction and t at the perforations therein are'oftheusual ,order, so that the applicants device may be the ordinary boltsnow used whereby the expense construction 'ght. Attenused to replace forholding splice bars, of substituting the applicants tudinal section taen on I understood that as many springs 7 maybe tion is directed toapplicants revision of the central upturned portion 0 the spring whichcontacts with the bottom of the rail. This feature is of considerableimportance,- as the rail is made to act as a fulcrum and the effectthereof is that each half of the spring acts independently, and astiffer spring is produced than if the spring were fiat or straightalong its bottom side. By virtue of this. modification a smaller springstock may be used than would otherwise be the case. I

In Figure 2 a modification is indicated, which modification resides inthe provision of collars 12 on the ends of the spring a short distanceback from the collars 10. The object of this collar is to provide ameans whereby a tool may conveniently engage the ends of the springs forforcing them apart. This feature adds greatly to the convenience inplacing and detaching the springs. It will be apparent that any otherengaging means on the springs might be used, as for instance a merelug,or perhaps a hole through the springs stock.

In Figures 3 and 4, still another modification is shown. Thismodification resides in the means whereby the tension of the springmaybe varied. This means consists in a wedge 13, which may be drivenbetween the central portion 8 of the spring and the bottom of the rail.This wedge is shown in Figure 4, clearly, and as here shown is providedwith notches .14 for holding the Wedge in place after it has been drivenin its desired distance. It will be apparent that other regulating meansmight be applied. to the bottom of the spring, as for instance, setscrews, or some other mechanical equivalent. It is also apparent thataltl'iougi'i stock for the spring is shown. thritiughout the drawings asround some other section might be used without in any way departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Figures 5 and. 6 indicate how the device may be applied as ananti-creeper by virtue of the ei'igagement of the bottom side of thefastener with the ties. When used in this way the fasteners are arrangedobliquely as shown in order to apply their holding power moreeffectively in the direction of the length of the rail. It will be notedthat part of the fasteners "are obliqued. in one direction and part in.the other, the object being to hold the rail from longitudinal movementin both direetions. When a wedge is used under the spring as shown inFigure 6 the, top of the tie is. cut away to accommodate such wedge.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what weclaiin'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In combination in a rail splice fastening, opposing splice barshaving perforations, a'

spring passing beneath the rail and having its 1 ends bent upwards andinwards and entering the openings and provided with shoulders adjacentsuch ends adapted to bearagainst the faces of the splice bars.

2. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice barshaving perforations, a spring passing beneath the rail with its cen' tercurved up to engage the bottom of the rail and having upwardly inturned.endsentering the perforations and provided with shoulders adjacent suchends adapted to engage against the faces of the splice bars.

3. In a rail splice fastening in. combination, opposing splice barshaving perforations a spring passing beneath the rail with its centercurved up to engage the bottom of the rail and having upwardly inturnedends entering the perforations and provided with shoulders adjacent suchends adapted to engage against the face of the splice bars, and meanswhereby the position of the curved up eentral portion. of the springrelative to thebottom of the rail may bevaried to adjust the tension ofthe spring.

4. In a rail splicefastening in. combination, opposing splice barshaving perforations, a spring passing beneath the rail with its cen tercurved up to engage the bottoinof the rail and having upwardly inturnedends entering the perforations and provided with shoulders adj acon tsuch ends adapted to en gage against the faces of the splice bars, and awedge adapted to beforced between the bottom of the rail and the curvedup portion of the spring.

5. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice barshaving perforations, a

the splice bars, and means whi' iy the e1? of the springs are held bythe :9 lice bars.

7. In a rail splice fi'istening in ml* inati. m, opposing splice barsl'niiving alined peifora tions, a plug extending bctwei-xn the splicebars, a spring passing beneath the rail and having an upturned centralportion engaging the rail and having upturned incurved ends adapted tofit the perforations and engage the splice bars to hold them against therail.

8. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice barshaving alined perforations, plugs extending between the splice bars, sp.ngs passing beneath the rail an:

ha'vin u turned central ortions enr a .ing f3 the rail and upcurved endsad-iiipted to engage spring passing benca-ith. the rail with its centeremail the rail and having upturned incurved ends adapted to L the splicebars to hold them against the rail, and means whereby the position ofthe upturned central portion of the spring may be adjusted relative tothe bottom of the rail.

9. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice barshaving perforations, a spring extending beneath the rail and havingupwardly incurved ends engaging the perforations and engaging means fora removing tool on the spring adjacent its end.

'10. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice bars, aspring extending beneath the rail and having upwardly incurved endsengaging the splice bars, and engaging means for an expanding tool onthe spring adjacent its end.

11. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing splice bars withalined perforations, a' plug passing through a portion of each splicebar and the web of the rail, and a spring passing beneath the rail andhaving shouldered ends adapted to bear against the splice bars and holdthe plug in position.

12. A securing means for abutting rail ends, comprising splice barsoverlapping the abutting rail ends, ties beneath the splice bars, andbars and extending beneath the rail and engaging the ties to preventcreeping of the rails.

- 13. A securing means for abutting rail ends, comprising splice barsoverlapping the abutting rail ends, tiesbeneath the splice bars, andobliquely directed clamps adapted to hold the splice bars and extendingbe lit the perforations and engage clamps adapted to hold the spliceneath the rail and engaging the ties to prevent creeping of the rails.

14. A securing means for abutting rail ends, comprising splice barsoverlapping the abutting rail ends, ties beneath the splice bars, and aplurality of clamps, a part of which are directed obliquely in onedirection and the other part are obliquely directed in the oppositedirection adapted to hold the splice bars and extending beneath the railand engaging the ties to-prevent creeping of the rails.

15. A securing means'for abutting perforated rail ends, comprisingperforated splice bars overlapping the abutting rail ends,

means extending through the' perforations in the rails and splice barsto prevent relative longitudinal movement thereof, ties beneath thesplice bars and spring clamps engaging the perforations in the splicebars and extending beneath the rail and engaging the ties to preventcreeping of the rail in both directions.

16. In a rail splice fastening in combination, opposing perforatedsplice bars, a spring extending beneath the rail and having upwardlyincurved the perforations in the splice bars, and a col lar on thespring adjacent the shoulder.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presenceof the two subscribed witnesses.

CHARLES L. SULLIVAN. WILLETT J. DICKINSON. Witnesses:

PAUL CARPENTER, ALBERT GRANT MILLER.

shouldered ends engaging

